


Nearly

by humanveil



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: First Kiss, M/M, Post-Episode: s03e13 The Wrath of the Lamb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-12
Updated: 2016-03-12
Packaged: 2018-05-26 06:15:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 575
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6227086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanveil/pseuds/humanveil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will regains consciousness to the sound of Hannibal choking.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nearly

Hannibal is choking.

Will can hear it. Through the muddled haze of his mind, he can make out the gasping, the coughing. It hurts, but he opens his eyes to look anyway.

The other man is collapsed a few feet in front of him, his clothes soaked with blood and the freezing water of the ocean. He's got a hand pressed to his stomach, his body curled in on itself as it shakes with each cough. A mixture of blood and water drips from his mouth and down his chin.

Will's own body aches, with the smell and taste of blood overwhelming his senses. He's not entirely sure how much of it is his and how much of it belongs to Hannibal.

Despite the pain, he crawls the extra step to Hannibal's side. He places his own hand over Hannibal's, the warm blood coating his skin instantly, the red running through his fingers. Hannibal gasps at the touch, still coughing up water and blood, albeit not as much now.

Will applies pressure, tries to stop the blood flow, though he isn't sure how much it will help. He can't believe either of them are alive. The injuries they had sustained from the Dragon, plus the fall... it didn't seem logical.

But here they were, and here Hannibal was, looking up at him with a mix of betrayal and awe. Will opens his mouth and closes it, swallowing before trying again. He had anticipated death, he hadn't anticipated dealing with this.

"Where can we go?"

He had planned to die, yes, but if the fall hadn't caused an instant death, then, Will thinks, perhaps it wasn't meant to.

"Bedelia," Hannibal gasps out, struggling to sit up properly.

Will doubts it, but they don't have many options. They will both certainly die if they don't do something soon.

Will slips his arm around Hannibal's waist and hauls him up, the other man stumbling into him as they stand. He looks to the ocean in front of them, the way the waves crash against the bluff, and wonders how Hannibal had managed to drag them out of it. A mix of mental strength and adrenaline, probably, because now he has to cling to Will to stay standing.

Not that Will is much better. He's clinging to Hannibal just as tightly, the two of them standing like they had atop the cliff. His eyes trail over the other man's face, the bloodstained mouth, the glistening lips, before looking to the path they have to climb. There's a fair chance they won't make it, or that one of them won't make it, and Will doesn't want to miss the opportunity now that he has it.

Hannibal moves to start walking, and Will stops him. He places his hand on the junction between Hannibal's shoulder and neck, his thumb stroking the exposed skin there before leaning in.

The kiss is slow, hesitant, and the movement pulls on his wounded cheek. Everything still hurts, and everything still tastes and smells like blood, but Will finds it oddly fitting. He closes his eyes, savouring the feeling.

There's a dampness on his cheek when they finally pull apart, and Will isn't sure if it comes from him or Hannibal or the ocean, but he doesn't care much, either.

There's a lot to say, but neither of them speak. Instead, they tighten their hold on each other and start their long walk to the top.


End file.
